


Those Troubling Days

by deathgurgle



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 04:24:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2374445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathgurgle/pseuds/deathgurgle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some of Hermann's days were worse than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Those Troubling Days

Some days were especially difficult.

Hermann would be roused from his sleep earlier than he would have woken himself up, and a hand would immediately grasp at his leg. It was these mornings that he would arrive at the lab later than Newton, even, with a tighter grip on his cane and his jaw clenched. And it was on these days that the border separating the two sides of the lab was respected; Hermann's desk was left undisturbed and Kaiju remains were not left around to be tripped over or slipped on.

Newton knew when to be considerate, knew when it was especially inappropriate to be obnoxious. It would be cliché for him to claim that he could sense when Hermann was having one of his more difficult days, but he could honestly just tell. Newton would simply know, and he would stay out of his way unless a favor was asked of him.

_"Hand me a clean beaker, please," Hermann would ask, and Newton would silently nod and fetch him one immediately._

And Hermann learned from these days of how caring and thoughtful the other man was, turning around completely from how he would usually act. It was these days that he found himself preferring his uncharacteristically polite company, and he would vocalize these feelings to him. And rather than being mocked or scoffed at, Newton would just nod at him and give a sympathetic smile because, well, he cared.

Newton would make this obvious to his companion, lingering by his desk after handing him a file or piece of equipment and offering his assistance for whatever else he needed. Of course he would usually turn him down with a sharpness in his tone that screamed impatience. He wasn't necessarily impatient with Newton, though, he was impatient with his leg.

_"Hey man, do you need anything else?" Newton would offer, hands wringing._

_"No," Herman would snap, and he would pause before continuing, "I do not need you to act as if I am incapable of working, thank you. My apologies for being short with you. Do not mistake this for annoyance with you, I appreciate what you are doing."_

It was on a day such as that when Newton had confessed his absolute admiration for the man, and had laughed easily when Hermann ducked behind a Manila folder to hide his flushed cheeks.

Days such as these, Newton would sidle up behind his seated colleague —was _intimate partner_ a more accurate word now? —and wrap gentle arms around him, pressing light kisses to the top of his head. He would whisper apologies and sweet words to him, meant _only_ for him, and Hermann would relax in his hold and lean back into the man's chest.

_"I'm sorry you're in so much pain," Newton would murmur, resting his forehead on Hermann's shoulder, and he'd tighten his grip a fraction._

_"You are not at fault, it is physically impossible for you to be. Please, Newton, do not—"_

_"I'm not gonna stop worrying, if that's what you were going to ask. Can't do it, Herms."_

 The more difficult days, Hermann found, he appreciated Newton more. And he would smile to himself, seated on his work stool with his partner standing beside him at his hip, a hand resting delicately on his shoulder.

_"Thank you, Newton," Hermann would whisper, "for all that you do for me."_

_"Yeah," Newton would reply, and he would smile that soft, sympathetic smile that was rarely shown._

_And Hermann was content._


End file.
